Mondays and Wednesday C-268 5:45-9:05 Office Hours E-200V 4:30-5:00 Mondays and Wednesdays And by appointment
Course Goals Students will, by the end of this course, be able to (1) Critically examine foundations of ethical systems and beliefs, including (a) reason, (b) passions, (c) "human nature," (d) the relationship of ethics to religion, and (e) society and its relationship to ethics. (2) Distinguish between deontological and utilitarian conceptions of ethics. (3) Thoughtfully consider what it means to lead a 'good life'. (4) Carefully examine situations of applied ethics, including euthanasia, overpopulation, abortion, and ? We will vote on what we discuss in the last week.
Items you will need Ethics edited by Peter Singer. Oxford Readers. ISBN: 978-0-19-289245-4 A Binder or Folder
Homework Assignments Case studies Readings with brief journal questions Weekly one to two-page reflections
Teacher Rules Regarding Journal Assignments and Readings: Due to the fact that this class takes place during the intense Fall II semester, a lot of work will be done in class to foster a learning environment based on class discussion. There may be some short readings and a couple of brief questions to mull over and consider for the following class. It is highly recommended that you do the reading, as participation is key to achieving a good grade in this class. I want this ethics class to be very enjoyable and thought provoking. Provided that everyone tries to do the reading and does their best answering the questions, we will have a great discussion and a great class. Late Assignment Policy: No unexcused late assignments are accepted. If there are problems or issues, I encourage you to talk to me. Teachers and employers expect you to get your work done on time. Of course, some problems may occur, and you may not be able to get work in on time. You may have heard, “It is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission,” but this is just not true in most academic environments nor in most places of employment. If you anticipate a problem with an assignment, or if you feel that you cannot get the assignment in on time due to specific and very good reasons, I will be much more lenient than I would be if you were to just blow off the assignment and not bother to tell me. Attendance Policy: If you miss more than 2 classes, LaGuardia’s policy is that you fail the course. I will keep strict attendance. Any unexcused absence will result in the deduction of points from your overall grade. Please arrive on time. I am aware that this course takes place at 10:30 AM, and that some of you may also be working late at night in addition to going to school. If you happen to come in more than five minutes late, please explain to me after class what was going on. I will be keeping a record of tardiness and attendance, so please be sure to be here.
Class Rules You will help come up with class rules.
Assignment Information Journal Assignments You will have several questions to answer in your blue book every night. Every class, I will perform several random journal checks, making sure that I have checked everyone’s journal. The questions in the journal will range from opinionated questions to questions based on the texts that we’ve read. I am looking for brief answers to each question, but the length of the response will depend on the reading and how far along we are in Ethics. Your journal will factor into the weekly reflections, midterm, and final. Therefore, it is important to keep up with the journal. There may be time in class to work on your journal assignment. I have tried to keep the readings short for the journal activities in the hopes that this will help you do some critical thinking and reflecting on the journal assignments. Also, these questions will help keep us focused in class discussion, so that we have something to return to, and so that everyone can participate. I will be checking the journal randomly, and looking for completion as well as critical thinking.
Weekly Reflections These weekly 1-2 page typed reflections will cover what happened over the week. It will be an opportunity for you to synthesize the material we worked with, by attempting to answer the question of the week and engaging further with all of the texts and the movies/shows we watched. You will receive a rubric for the weekly reflections with a prompt as to what you should write about.
Midterm The midterm will be a longer reflection (2-3 pages) and will attempt to synthesize some of the ethical approaches and ideas that we have covered. There will be a more specific prompt and we will discuss more about the midterm when we get closer to it.
Final The final is yet to be determined. It will, like the midterm and the weekly reflections, incorporate the readings and your journal reflections, as well as any handouts I provide for definitions or questions. The final will measure your growth as an amateur philosopher and a critical thinker of ethics. It may involve creating a Wikispace.
Class Website There will be a website (a Wikispace) with all of the class materials, a question page that you may edit, and a discussion board. This may be incorporated more frequently as the class goes on. I may pose a question that you must respond to. You may be invited to post reflections on the Wikispace after you garner more skills in assessing the material. Our Wikispace is: jungethics.wikispaces.com Wikispaces are accessible and editable on iPhones. I will invite all of you to the Wikispace once I receive your e-mails.
Grade Breakdown Participation/Attendance 10% Journal Homework Checks 10% Weekly Reflections 40% Midterm Paper 20% Final 20%
Week 0: “Are ethics objective or subjective?” January 2nd
●Introduction: “What are ethics? What are morals?” and “Are ethics subjective or objective?”
●In Class: Divine Command Theory; Nagel, “The Objective Basis of Morality,” p. 155-158
●Journal Homework
●Nagel, “The Objective Basis of Morality,” p. 155-158
January 2nd
● “Are ethics subjective or objective?” and “Are people good or bad?”
●Group Discussion: Nagel Questions
●Journal Homework
●General Questions
Week 1: “What roles do human nature and society play in ethics?” January 7th
●“Are people good or bad?”
●In Class: Hobbes, “Of the Natural Condition of Mankind and the Laws of Nature,” p. 29-34
●In Class: Rousseau, “The Natural State of Man,” p. 35-36
●Class Discussion: Rousseau Questions
●Class Discussion: Hobbes Questions
●In class: Freud, “The Cultural Super-Ego,” p. 49-51
●Journal Homework
●Freud Questions
January 9th
●Twilight Zone: “I Shot an Arrow into the Air,” “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street”
●In class: Discussion of the episodes
●In class: Nietzsche, “The Origins of Herd Morality,” p. 48-49
●Homework
●Two-page reflection due by e-mail Friday at 9 PM.
Week II: What role do virtues play in Ethics? What is ‘the good life’? January 14th
●“What is ‘the good life’?” Part I
●“How do virtue and character relate to ethics?”
●Group Discussion: “What is a virtue?” and “Are people born with virtues?”
●In Class: Aristotle, “Moral Virtue, How Produced,” p. 26-27
●In Class: Aristotle, “The End for Human Nature,” p. 185-188
●Journal Homework
●Aristotle Handout
January 14th
●Group Discussion: “What is the ‘good life’ for Aristotle?”
●In Class: Epictetus, “A Stoic View of Life,” p. 190-193
●In Class: Epicurus, “The Pursuit of Pleasure,” p. 188-190
●Journal Homework
●Epicurus, “The Pursuit of Pleasure,” p. 188-190
January 16th
●Possible movie: Groundhog Day
●In Class: Epicurus, “The Pursuit of Pleasure,” p. 188-190
●In Class: How are Aristotle, Epictetus, and Epicurus represented in Groundhog Day?
●Homework
●Two-page reflection due by e-mail Saturday at 5 P.M.
January 16th What role do rules and duties play in ethics?
●“Is it ever OK to lie?”
●Group Discussion: “Lying”
●In Class: Kant, “The Categorical Imperative,” p. 274-279
●Journal Homework
●“On the Supposed Right to Lie,” p. 280-281
Week III: What role do rules and duties play in ethics?
January 21st No Class
January 24th
●Duties toward Humanity
●Class Discussion: Kant, “On the Supposed Right to Lie,” p. 280-281
●In Class: Langton, “Maria von Herbert’s Challenge to Kant,” p. 281-294
●In Class: Wolf, “Moral Saints,” p. 281-294
●Journal Homework
●Wolf, “Moral Saints,” p. 281-294
January 24th
●Possible Movie: Shadow of a Doubt
●Class Discussion: Shadow of a Doubt
●Class Discussion: Wolf, “Moral Saints,” p. 281-294
●Midterm due by Friday at 9 PM.
Week IV: What role does “the greater good” play in ethics? January 28th
●Dilemmas
●Group Discussion: “The Trolley Experiment” and “Lifeboat”
●Consequentialism and Utilitarianism
●In Class: Bentham, “The Principle of Utility,” p. 306-307
●In Class: Smart, “Desert Island Promises,” p. 317-319
●Journal Homework
●Mill Handout
January 28th
●Group Discussion: Act Utilitarianism vs. Rule Utilitarianism
●Consequentialism and Utilitarianism
○Act vs. Rule Utilitarianism
●In Class: Mill Handout
●Journal Homework
●Dostoevsky, “Ivan’s Challenge,” p. 332
●Williams, “Jim and the Indians,” p. 339-345
January 30th
●TBD: Selections from Fail Safe
●Group Discussion: Movie
●“Ivan’s Challenge,” p. 332 and “Jim and the Indians,” p. 339-345
●Homework
●Two-page reflection due by e-mail Friday at 9 P.M.
Week V: What role do emotions play in ethics? February 4th
●Psychopaths and Serial Killers
●Group Discussion: “What’s wrong with serial killers?”
●In Class: Psychopath Test
●In Class: Excerpts from writings of serial killers
●Journal Homework
●Hume, “Affection of Humanity,” p. 37-38
February 4th
●Group Discussion: “What is a conscience?”
●In Class: Hume, “Affection of Humanity,” p. 37-38
●In Class: Hume handout
●In Class: TBD
●Journal Homework
●Handout TBD
February 7th
●Rope
●Group Discussion: “What role do emotions play in ethics?” and “How does conscience manifest itself in Rope?”
●In Class: Rope
●In Class: TBD
●Homework
●Two-page reflection due by e-mail Saturday at 5 P.M.
Week VI: What role do ethics play in medical situations? February 11th
●Euthanasia
●Group Discussion: “What is the difference between killing and letting die?”
Ethics and Moral Issues
Class Number: HUP104.8639Instructor: Mr. Tim Jung
mrjungteacher@gmail.com
Mondays and Wednesday
C-268 5:45-9:05
Office Hours
E-200V 4:30-5:00 Mondays and Wednesdays
And by appointment
Course Goals
Students will, by the end of this course, be able to
(1) Critically examine foundations of ethical systems and beliefs, including (a) reason, (b) passions, (c) "human nature," (d) the relationship of ethics to religion, and (e) society and its relationship to ethics.
(2) Distinguish between deontological and utilitarian conceptions of ethics.
(3) Thoughtfully consider what it means to lead a 'good life'.
(4) Carefully examine situations of applied ethics, including euthanasia, overpopulation, abortion, and ? We will vote on what we discuss in the last week.
Items you will need
Ethics edited by Peter Singer. Oxford Readers. ISBN: 978-0-19-289245-4
A Binder or Folder
Homework Assignments
Case studies
Readings with brief journal questions
Weekly one to two-page reflections
Teacher Rules
Regarding Journal Assignments and Readings: Due to the fact that this class takes place during the intense Fall II semester, a lot of work will be done in class to foster a learning environment based on class discussion. There may be some short readings and a couple of brief questions to mull over and consider for the following class. It is highly recommended that you do the reading, as participation is key to achieving a good grade in this class. I want this ethics class to be very enjoyable and thought provoking. Provided that everyone tries to do the reading and does their best answering the questions, we will have a great discussion and a great class.
Late Assignment Policy: No unexcused late assignments are accepted. If there are problems or issues, I encourage you to talk to me. Teachers and employers expect you to get your work done on time. Of course, some problems may occur, and you may not be able to get work in on time. You may have heard, “It is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission,” but this is just not true in most academic environments nor in most places of employment. If you anticipate a problem with an assignment, or if you feel that you cannot get the assignment in on time due to specific and very good reasons, I will be much more lenient than I would be if you were to just blow off the assignment and not bother to tell me.
Attendance Policy: If you miss more than 2 classes, LaGuardia’s policy is that you fail the course. I will keep strict attendance. Any unexcused absence will result in the deduction of points from your overall grade. Please arrive on time. I am aware that this course takes place at 10:30 AM, and that some of you may also be working late at night in addition to going to school. If you happen to come in more than five minutes late, please explain to me after class what was going on. I will be keeping a record of tardiness and attendance, so please be sure to be here.
Class Rules
You will help come up with class rules.
Assignment Information
Journal Assignments
You will have several questions to answer in your blue book every night. Every class, I will perform several random journal checks, making sure that I have checked everyone’s journal. The questions in the journal will range from opinionated questions to questions based on the texts that we’ve read. I am looking for brief answers to each question, but the length of the response will depend on the reading and how far along we are in Ethics.
Your journal will factor into the weekly reflections, midterm, and final. Therefore, it is important to keep up with the journal. There may be time in class to work on your journal assignment. I have tried to keep the readings short for the journal activities in the hopes that this will help you do some critical thinking and reflecting on the journal assignments. Also, these questions will help keep us focused in class discussion, so that we have something to return to, and so that everyone can participate. I will be checking the journal randomly, and looking for completion as well as critical thinking.
Weekly Reflections
These weekly 1-2 page typed reflections will cover what happened over the week. It will be an opportunity for you to synthesize the material we worked with, by attempting to answer the question of the week and engaging further with all of the texts and the movies/shows we watched.
You will receive a rubric for the weekly reflections with a prompt as to what you should write about.
Midterm
The midterm will be a longer reflection (2-3 pages) and will attempt to synthesize some of the ethical approaches and ideas that we have covered. There will be a more specific prompt and we will discuss more about the midterm when we get closer to it.
Final
The final is yet to be determined. It will, like the midterm and the weekly reflections, incorporate the readings and your journal reflections, as well as any handouts I provide for definitions or questions. The final will measure your growth as an amateur philosopher and a critical thinker of ethics. It may involve creating a Wikispace.
Class Website
There will be a website (a Wikispace) with all of the class materials, a question page that you may edit, and a discussion board. This may be incorporated more frequently as the class goes on. I may pose a question that you must respond to. You may be invited to post reflections on the Wikispace after you garner more skills in assessing the material.
Our Wikispace is:
jungethics.wikispaces.com
Wikispaces are accessible and editable on iPhones. I will invite all of you to the Wikispace once I receive your e-mails.
Grade Breakdown
Participation/Attendance 10%
Journal Homework Checks 10%
Weekly Reflections 40%
Midterm Paper 20%
Final 20%
Week 0: “Are ethics objective or subjective?”
January 2nd
January 2nd
Week 1: “What roles do human nature and society play in ethics?”
January 7th
January 9th
Week II: What role do virtues play in Ethics? What is ‘the good life’?
January 14th
January 14th
January 16th
January 16th
What role do rules and duties play in ethics?
- ● “Is it ever OK to lie?”
- ● Group Discussion: “Lying”
- ● In Class: Kant, “The Categorical Imperative,” p. 274-279
- ● Journal Homework
- ● “On the Supposed Right to Lie,” p. 280-281
Week III: What role do rules and duties play in ethics?January 21st
No Class
January 24th
January 24th
Week IV: What role does “the greater good” play in ethics?
January 28th
- ● Dilemmas
- ● Group Discussion: “The Trolley Experiment” and “Lifeboat”
- ● Consequentialism and Utilitarianism
- ● In Class: Bentham, “The Principle of Utility,” p. 306-307
- ● In Class: Smart, “Desert Island Promises,” p. 317-319
- ● Journal Homework
- ● Mill Handout
January 28th○ Act vs. Rule Utilitarianism
January 30th
Week V: What role do emotions play in ethics?
February 4th
February 4th
February 7th
Week VI: What role do ethics play in medical situations?
February 11th
February 12th
No class
February 14th